Action and inaction in consumer and social contexts: the effects of prior and ongoing activity levels on intentions and decisions

My thesis explores the effects of physical and cognitive activity levels—i.e., active and inactive behaviors—upon consumer judgments and decisions. I hypothesize that active or inactive conditions impact ongoing or subsequent, often unrelated consumer and social behavior through various psychological processes. I investigate this proposition through two series of studies designed to look at (a) situational conditions that trigger active and inactive behaviors in the decision making process (Essay 1) and (b) the effect of active and inactive behaviors on subsequent, unrelated performance and decisions made in various domains (Essay 2). Essay 1 finds that situational conditions provoke passive decision making (i.e., low motivation and/or low ability to expend effort) that increases passive reliance on default options. Situational conditions that trigger active decision making (i.e., high motivation and/or high ability to expend effort), however, can attenuate or reverse reliance on default options. Essay 2 shows that prior active behaviors (e.g., walking, running) invoke general action goals, which in turn increase the perceived motivational fit with the immediate deadline, compared with prior inactive behaviors (e.g., standing, sitting) that invoke general inaction goals. As a result, prior active behaviors enhance the likelihood of initiating an action by an immediate deadline more than do prior inactive behaviors. However, this effect is absent when the deadline is distant because general action and inaction goals are thus less relevant. These two essays contribute to our understanding of how activity levels influence judgment, decision making, and performance in consumer and social contexts.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Business Administration

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2017

Author dc:creator

• Jiang, Duo

Contributors dc:contributor

• Albarracín, Dolores
• Shavitt, Sharon
• Wyer Jr., Robert S.
• Mehta, Ravi
• Cohen, Dov

• Social sciences
• Psychology
• Action goals
• Information processing
• Judgments
• Intentions
• Decisions
• Defaults
• Deadlines

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2016 Duo Jiang

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/95569

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/95569